Cariadau
by The X-Pig
Summary: Two couples, one bar. CIXF XOver Followup to Cyfeillion.
1. Boys will be boys

Disclaimer: The Hulk™ & the Waif™ and Moose™ & Squirrel™ belong to each other and their actors. My respects to DW and CC for their genius and a word of thanks to the writer of a certain former Baltimore detective with interesting friends.

Additional Disclaimer: Please note all references to my private XF/CI universe occur in a world where S9 of XF NEVER happened. In my world, XF ended with the birth of William and we pick up from there.

Thanks: To everyone who has provided me feedback, especially the people who want more of the Mulder & Goren Show. You folks are a dream come true. Also, thanks to Geena, Maureen and Kristen for helping me find Bobby's voice.

A/N: The 420 Bar and Lounge really exists. It's at Amsterdam and W. 80th on the Upper West Side. The Carlyle also exists, located at 35 E. 76th on the Upper East Side. I have never been to either of these places, but I have high hopes. Since we'll be adding to the party, this piece will be broken in at least 3 parts: the guys, the gals and the whole gang. This is a sequel to Cyfeillion, by popular demand.

* * *

_Love will enter cloaked in friendship's name. - Ovid

* * *

_ **Boys will be boys**

Sitting easily at the corner table, in the back of the very dark bar, Bobby turned to Mulder, his curiosity getting the better of him. "Why do women go to the bathroom in groups?"

Glass raised partway to his mouth, Mulder paused and looked back at him, "…safety in numbers?"

"Mulder, I know Eames is armed," Bobby took a quick sip of his beer before continuing, "and I'd imagine Scully is too."

Chuckling to himself, Mulder watched his friend for a moment, amazed at how much like him the other could be. "Maybe they just wanted some alone time."

Eyebrow arched as he tried to process what Mulder had just said, Bobby set down his drink. "To do what?"

"Bobby, you need to get out more." A wry grin spread across Mulder's lips, flashing just a glimpse of teeth before he continued, "I'll bet you a week's pay that they are in there talking about us."

Suspecting he was being set up, Bobby eyed his friend over the lip of his glass, "your pay or mine?"

"Your choice." Mulder set his empty glass down on the glass and began searching the bar for their waitress.

Finishing his own drink, Bobby spotted the waitress and signaled her for another round. He then turned his chair a bit to face Mulder before answering; "I'll get back to you on that. So, how did you find this place?"

As the fresh drinks were set in front of them, Mulder pulled a card from his pocket and handed it to Bobby. "The concierge at The Carlyle suggested it. He said something about interesting atmosphere, perfect place to catch up with friends."

"I have to admit, I was a little concerned when you told me we were going to the 420 Bar and Lounge." Bobby looked around the place again; this time with a cop's eyes; noticing the dark corners, soft leather furniture and the acoustics that allowed you to hear the people at your table but not the people at the table next to you. "Seems like a place we should have staked out while I was still in narcotics."

Sighing deeply, bemused by his friend's tenacious nature, Mulder shrugged. "Ya know, I didn't even think of that. Geez, Bobby, are you ever off the clock?"

Noticing Mulder's sigh and look of bewilderment, Bobby responded with the hard truth, "as often as you were."

Not wanting to be reminded that he was no longer with the Bureau, Mulder decided to drop the subject. "Point taken."

Anxious to get his friend's opinion, while the ladies were still gone, Bobby turned to Mulder, his question sounding somewhat desperate, "so…what do you think?"

"I think you are in a world of trouble," Mulder smiled sympathetically at Bobby.

"Is it that…um, obvious?" Bobby glanced furtively in the direction that Scully and Alex had left, hoping that they hadn't chosen that moment to return.

Pushing his glass away, sensing Bobby was on shaky ground, Mulder continued softly, "only to the trained professional."

"Are you serious?" Bobby tried to stifle the panicked feeling growing in his stomach, but was unable to hide his look of consternation from his companion.

Unable and unwilling to hide his amusement, Mulder reached over and patted Bobby on the shoulder. "Relax, Bobby. I have that unique perspective on your situation, remember."

"Fine, let's examine your perspective, shall we? When did you…" Bobby's hand flailed about, as if to conjure the word he is looking for out of the ether, "…know?" He knew his attempt to steer the conversation was weak, but hoped that Mulder would understand how difficult this was for him.

Mulder's eyes glazed over as he thought back, digging out memories that he'd just as soon forget. "Know? Hard to say, but I had an idea fairly early on. I kept it to myself. I was afraid, Bobby." Mulder paused, searching for the right words to help out his friend, while trying to keep a hold on the fear that always came with these memories. "I was scared that she would reject me. I just knew that she would toss our partnership out on its ear if she ever had a clue."

Bobby nodded, understanding the fear that Mulder was talking about. That same fear ate at him day after day. "So, what did you do?"

"I buried it. Or, at least, I thought I did." Picking up his glass, Mulder drained it before continuing, "but the heart and the mind often differ on how to handle things. I started looking for excuses to be with her. Hell, I started grasping at straws. I would find the most absurd cases to investigate, just so I could be near her."

"And it-it worked?" Bobby signaled the waitress and ordered Mulder another drink.

"Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time. Not an approach I'd recommend to you, however." Mulder barely registered the fresh drink in front of him, lost in the memories of how he had almost lost Scully more times than he cared to count. "It started to put a strain on our partnership. Which just scared me more. I started obsessing, calling her at all hours…" He chose that moment to glance over at Bobby and saw the look of horror and embarrassment on his face, "why are you looking at me like that?"

Quickly affecting a blank look, Bobby stared back at his confidant for a moment before responding, "nothing… Continue."

Seizing upon Bobby's hesitation, Mulder plowed forward, determined to get an answer. "How many middle of the night calls have you made?"

"Just a few." Bobby swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing quickly. "B-but they were all…relating to cases."

Striking at the weak spot his compatriot had just presented, Mulder pushed, "really?"

"Well, most of…most of them" Admitting defeat, Bobby shrugged.

"Uh-huh." Hoping to be able to get his point across without having to hit Bobby over the head with his behavior, Mulder leaned forward. Speaking softly, he continued, "keep telling yourself that and you'll find yourself in an uncomfortable place very quickly."

Clarity and confusion battled across Bobby's face. The winner seemed evident to Mulder, until Bobby spoke. "How so?"

Knowing that Bobby couldn't be as dense as he was behaving, Mulder cheated, answering a question with a question. "Do I _really _need to explain this to you?"

Resigned to being unable to fool his friend, Bobby nodded. "Uh, no."

Noticing the fresh beer for the first time, Mulder scooped it up and leaned back. "That's what I thought. So, what do you plan to do?"

"I'm not exactly sure." Bobby sighed and took another drink from his glass. "I wonder what's taking them so long."

Mulder smiled at his friend, then looked off towards the bathrooms. Laughing, he tapped Bobby on the shoulder and pointed, "well, speak of the devil, or devils, as the case may be…"

* * *

TBC 


	2. Beware girls with guns

Spoilers: XF – The End (S5), Dreamland (S6), Tithonus (S6), Millennium (S7), Existence (S8); CI – None, yet.

A/N: Because men are from Mars and women from Venus, there will be minor spoilers in this part, mainly from Squirrel. She is much more put together than Moose, after all. And I apologize for this first part. Moose and Squirrel write themselves and just drag me along for the ride. And damn, those kids can't keep their hands to themselves. I have high hopes that Bobby and Alex will learn to do the same.

* * *

**Beware girls with guns**

Scully arrived back at the room ten minutes after Mulder had hung up with Bobby. Assuming that his cock-eyed grin was for her, she set down her bag and, closing the distance between them, kissed him deeply. When she didn't receive the response she was expecting, she drew back, looking him in the eye.

"What's up, Mulder? Why the grin?"

"I just got a call from an old friend, Bobby Goren. Remember me talking about him?"

"Yeah. Didn't Munch introduce you two while I was in the hospital after the Fellig case?"

"That's the guy. Since then, he's been promoted and transferred to Major Case…"

Mulder leaned down and stole a kiss from Scully, hoping to pull her back to him before memories of being shot bubbled to the surface. She responded softly, nipping at his lip before pulling back.

"Quite the step up."

"Yes. But now he's got a problem. One I am uniquely qualified to counsel him on."

Confused, Scully disengaged herself from his arms. She scanned the room for the ice bucket. Locating it, she drifted towards the container and the chair it was next to. Once seated, an ice cube melting in her mouth, she motioned for Mulder to elaborate.

"He seems to have found himself with a spitfire for a partner. And he's falling for her."

Mulder ducked just in time to avoid being hit by the ice cube that, until recently, was dissolving on Scully's tongue. Picking himself up off the floor, his ears were assaulted by peals of laughter. Indignantly dusting himself off, he favored Scully with his best pathetic puppy look, which only caused her to laugh harder.

He seated himself in the chair opposite Scully, resigned to make no sound until she was finished howling her amusement. Her laughing jag continued for five minutes longer than he deemed medically safe, but he made no move towards her.

Wiping tears from her eyes, her breathes chasing each other through her lungs, Scully was finally able to look at Mulder without laughter erupting from her belly. Noting his look of forlorn embarrassment, she stood and walked over to him. Seating herself in his lap, she began making amends.

"I'm sorry, Mulder. That was unfair of me."

"Hmmpt"

"Really, I mean it. I'm sorry. So, how can we help Detective Goren?"

"We're going out tonight, to meet his partner."

"A double date? I didn't think that was your style."

Grinning, he began trailing his fingers across Scully's stomach. She relaxed into his arms, momentarily lost in the feathery contact. His hand came to rest on her hip, causing her to open her eyes and look at him. His eyes alight, a leer on his lips, he leaned forward and whispered in her ear. "Might be fun, bringing another couple in."

Scully turned her head, biting Mulder's ear hard before pulling away from him.

"Good thing I know you better than that. You wouldn't do that to your friend."

"No, I wouldn't. But you thought about it a minute, didn't you, Scully? Admit it."

Scully stood, slipped off her heels and started towards the bathroom. She tossed her answer back over her shoulder at Mulder.

"No. I'm going to take a shower."

"I don't believe you."

"Suit yourself. But I am taking a shower. With or without you."

Mulder leapt out of the chair, following after Scully like he had been doing for years. As he stripped off his clothes, he wondered if he'd be able to help Bobby find the happiness that he had.

* * *

Scully and Alex excused themselves from the table, ostensibly to use the restroom. Scully knew that Mulder wasn't fooled by the ploy, but she wondered about Bobby. He appeared to be a very intelligent, no dangerously brilliant guy, but he seemed to suffer from the same social ineptness that had plagued Mulder.

No wonder they got along so well.

Alex was struck by the similarities between Bobby and Mulder. Both men were tall and had an aura of awkwardness about them. Both were competitive by nature, yet at ease with each other. The two men had fallen easily into a conversation about basketball during the first round of drinks, ending in a friendly challenge of a game of one-on-one the next day. And they were both geniuses. Alex hadn't believed it possible for Mulder to be as smart and intuitive as her partner. Had Scully not been there, she would have felt like a remedial math student in a calculus class.

As they entered the restroom, Alex also noticed the resemblance between her and Scully. Both petite, with the air of confidence required to be a woman in law enforcement. And neither of them willingly to take any guff from their male counterparts. They had even chosen a similar type of apparel for the evening, casual with concealment.

Laughing to herself, Alex stepped to the counter, checking her make-up in the mirror. Scully was next to her, leaning against the edge, enjoying a moment of peace. She looked over at Alex, trying to decide how to ask the questions that had been niggling at her mind for the past hour.

"Alex, how long have you and Bobby been partners?"

"A few months now. We were both transferred to Major Case at the same time."

"Who's the senior detective?"

"I am, by about 2 months. But that's not important. We are equals."

Smiling, Scully turned to face the sinks. Running her hands under the faucet to start the flow of water, she let the cool water give her a moment to frame her next question in her mind. Alex beat her to the punch.

"Dana? May I call you Dana?"

"Sure, Alex."

"When did you realize that your partner was more than just a friend? I mean…uh… when did you know that you were in love with your partner?"

"Which time?"

"You fell in love with him more than once?"

Scully smiled, nodding to Alex while she tried to figure out how to explain it so it made sense.

"I fell for Mulder in stages. It's tough to explain. But I'll try."

"I don't mean to pry…"

"It's okay. I first fell in love with the idea of him. He was so driven when I met him. And so alone. He was like a lost little boy, searching for anyone who could help him find his way. Which, I suppose, isn't fair from the truth. Has Bobby told you anything about Mulder?"

"Some. I figured it would make more sense coming from the horse's mouth, so I didn't push for details."

"Do you know about his sister, at least?"

"Yes, I know that she disappeared when Mulder was twelve."

Looking quickly around the restroom, Scully took Alex by the elbow and lead her out, the pair locating a table near the restroom and ordering a round of drinks for themselves. Once the drinks were in front of them, Scully continued.

"While not completely accurate, disappeared will do for tonight. Anyway, he had been looking for her ever since. I was sent in to destroy him, to discredit his work. They didn't count on our chemistry."

"You were set up to fail?"

"Yes, we were. But that's not what you want to know. So, I fell for the idea of Mulder first. Then I discovered the dazzling intellect he has and fell in love all over again. His mind and our work sustained me for years. But we were too good at what we did, so it was taken from us."

"How so?"

Scully took a pull of her beer to steady her nerves. Talking about the fire, the pain and anger that came with it, was always difficult. But she was felt she was doing this for a greater good and vowed to push on.

Alex watched the struggle that played out across Dana's face, regretting that she had brought the subject up at all. She was about to steer the conversation to safer ground when Dana started speaking again.

"We were removed from our department, our office and all our files burned. We were demoted to scut work; background checks and manure duty. The forces out to destroy Mulder thought that the bullpen would be the end of him. And it almost was."

"What happened?"

"I finally cracked, I'd had enough. On the road, in Nevada, I asked him if he ever just wanted to stop the car."

"I don't understand."

"Neither did he, at first. We had spent most of our, at that time, 6 years together driving in rental cars or sleeping in crappy motels. I wanted something approaching a normal life and I wanted it with him. But, in order for that to happen, he had to stop the car."

"Did he?"

Laughing, Scully finished her beer and leaned back, tilting her head to stare at the ceiling a moment. Sighing, she looked back at Alex, who was patiently awaiting the answer.

"Not that night. We got pulled over a few moments later and it was all down hill from there. A story for another time, I'm afraid. But he stored the conversation away and made good on my suggestion a few weeks later. And that is when I fell in love with his body."

"So, you only fell in love with him three time?"

"Nope. I finally fell in love with Mulder the next year, on New Year's Eve. I was afraid of losing him again, without him truly understanding. So, when he kissed me in a hospital waiting room while the Times Square ball dropped on TV, I vowed to myself that I would not waste this chance. And I have a beautiful son to show for it. But it didn't have to be that way."

Finishing her drink, Alex turned towards Dana, a perplexed look etched across her face.

"Alex, my eyes work just fine. I see the way you look at Bobby. Don't let the years get away from you. If you see something you want, take it."

Scully stood and turned to face the table. Alex, slightly stunned by how easily Dana had seen through her, was slower to rise. Determined to return to the table looking like everything was fine, Alex paused a moment, head hung. Satisfied that she was no longer transparent, she turned towards Scully and smiled.

"Well, Dana, let's go see what the boys have been up to."

"I'm sure they have gotten into some kind of trouble, probably involving a waitress."

"Wouldn't surprise me, given how long we've been gone."

"Well, let's go save them."

The two women struck off into the crowd, searching for their table and their men. As they approached, Scully saw Mulder tap Bobby on the shoulder and point towards them.

When they arrived at the table, both men spoke at the same time, "Did you get lost?"

The women looked at each other and laughed.

* * *

TBC 


	3. The gang's all here

Spoilers: XF – X-Cops (S7) CI – None

A/N: I apologize for the delay in getting this last part out. Life can sneak up on a person, and mine finally did. On the plus side, I now have a whole new collection of ideas banging around in my head, including some very tasty angst. The epilogue is given to you without the benefit of beta'ing. All mistakes in that part are mine and mine alone. They just weren't done with me yet while I was cleaning up. Anyway, I give you the Fantastic Four™ and alcohol.

* * *

**The gang's all here**

Alex and Scully took their seats. As Scully sat down next to him, Mulder leaned over and stole a kiss, still amazed at how much he could miss her when she was gone. As their lips separated, their eyes locked. Volumes passed between them in the moment they shared, the rest of the world forgotten. They both started grinning at the same moment, eliciting a chuckle from their companions. The moment broken, Mulder and Scully turned to face the other couple.

Alex had seated herself a respectable distance from her partner, a difficult task given his size. As always happened, despite her best efforts, contact was inevitable and their knees frequently brushed against each other under the table. Looking for anything to take her mind off the feeling of her knee against his thigh, she focused her attention on the couple across from her. It warmed her heart to see two people so obviously happy, their years together evident in their unspoken communication.

Watching Mulder and Scully stare at each other, oblivious to the world around them, tugged at Bobby's, until recently buried, desire to be in love, to be happy with a woman who could put up with his numerous personality quirks. The pressure of Alex's knee against his denim-clad thigh only served to remind him that the woman of his dreams was sitting beside him, near enough to touch. Resisting the urge to turn and touch Alex, he started fidgeting with his glass. Just as he was about to clear his throat, he saw Mulder and Scully break into simultaneous grins. Arching his eyebrow, he then heard two distinct chuckles, one Alex's and one his.

Scully locked eyes with Bobby, her annoyance at being laughed at quickly pushed aside by her amusement at the look on Bobby's face. His eyebrow was arched, his lips pulled into grin and his eyes clearly confused by the situation he found himself in. Scully started laughing, tears running down her face. Gasping for air, her hands flailed around. One finally landed on Mulder's knee, squeezing. The other landed on Bobby's hand, still clutching his glass.

Surprised, Bobby yelped and withdrew his hand, knocking over his glass. As spilled beer began inching it's way towards the edge of the table, and Bobby's lap, Alex and Mulder also started laughing. The commotion attracted the looks of the people seated around them and their waitress. She rushed to the table, towel in hand, barely catching the beer before it trickled to the floor at Bobby's feet.

The spill safely contained, the waitress stood for a moment and watched the two women and one of the men laughing at the other man. As she mopped up the last of the spill, the tall, attractive focus of the laughter began to laugh as well. Smiling, she asked the table if they needed another round. Receiving affirmatives all around, she headed back towards the bar, a smile on her face.

"Well, Goren, I hope you're happy. Everyone in here thinks we are all drunk now." Mulder picked up his napkin and wiped the tears from his eyes, fighting to keep from laughing again.

"Don't you Goren me, Fox." Bobby barely got his hand up in time to deflect a playful slap coming from his left. His look of surprise was met by a look of satisfaction from Mulder's redheaded protector.

"Careful, Bobby. She's very protective of my name. Something about how it only sounds right being screamed."

Mulder's luck wasn't nearly as good as Bobby. Scully slap landed squarely on his shoulder, causing him to flinch. With the same hand that landed the blow on his shoulder, Scully caught Mulder's glass before it could complete its tumble to the table. "Bobby, how much did you let him drink?"

Bobby shrugged, his eyes moving from Scully to Mulder, before momentarily resting on Alex. "He's a big boy, Scully. You mean to tell me that he can't hold his liquor?"

"Hey. I'm sitting right here, ya know." Crossing his arms, Mulder put on his best, most pathetic puppy dog face. "Alex, you don't think I'm drunk, do you?"

Enjoying herself more than she expected to be, Alex decided to get into the game and have a little fun with Mulder. "Ahhh, what a cute little puppy. Scully, I didn't know they let dogs in here."

Alex's timing couldn't have been better. Both Bobby and Scully struggled to keep from spewing their mouthfuls of beer onto the table. Mulder struggled to keep from smiling, determined to play the wounded bit to the hilt. Alex simply grinned at Mulder and took another draw from her glass.

"Come now, Mulder, you don't think I've seen that look before? You and my partner must have gone to the same finishing school. He tries to pull that one on me once a week, at least. I don't buy it from him, why would I buy it from you?" Alex set her drink down and, throwing caution to the wind, reached over and gave Bobby's hand a reassuring squeeze.

Unable to decide if Alex was just trying to let him know she meant no offense or if there was something more, Bobby kept his hand still. When Alex didn't remove her hand from his, he hazarded a glance at her. As he turned towards her, their eyes met and locked. Bobby turned his hand under Alex's, until their palms were touching; heat on heat.

Scully and Mulder watched; their own hands clasped together under the table. Turning towards Mulder, Scully pulled his ear close to her lips. "Should we put them out of their misery?"

Smirking, Mulder quickly turned his head, catching Scully by surprise and planting a kiss on her nose. "What did you have in mind?"

Scully stood and stepped away from the table. "Bobby, would you care to dance?"

Startled, Bobby turned to see Scully standing before him; her hand outstretched, an expectant look on her face. Reluctantly releasing Alex's hand, he stood and took Scully's, following her out onto the dance floor.

Taking Scully's action as his cue, Mulder also stood, extending his hand towards Alex. "Come on, we can't let them have all the fun."

Bobby's size had enabled he and Scully to carve out an area to dance in, mercifully free of other people banging into them. When Alex and Mulder located the pair, their heads were bent together, Scully imparting some bit of advice to Bobby. As Mulder began dancing with Alex, he made a point to back into Scully, reaffirming that he was on the same page as she was.

Several songs passed, the two couples finding their respective rhythms. Then Scully put her plan into action. She positioned herself carefully. As she felt Mulder and Alex nearing, she turned and grabbed Mulder by the shoulder. They both then turned to the side. The crowd and the music did the rest.

Bobby and Alex found themselves dancing together, pressed close and moving together. Mulder and Scully were nowhere to be seen. The atmosphere and the alcohol were having their intended effect. Bobby and Alex found their own rhythm and became lost in each other.

* * *

Mulder and Scully sat together at the table, content to be with each other and enjoying their evening. Both were several sheets to the wind and having a spirited discussion about the likelihood of alligators living in the New York sewer system. They were passing the time the way they always did; him throwing out absurd theories, her shooting them down with science. Neither was worried about the location of their friends. 

Bobby and Alex finally found their way back to the table; pushing through the crowd, hands clasped together. Once seated, Bobby signaled the waitress for another round. He then turned towards Mulder and Scully.

"We thought you two had left."

"No such luck, Bobby. I didn't want to stick you with the tab."

"That wasn't necessary. It's the…least I could do."

Shaking his head, Mulder waved the waitress over and asked for the tab. As they waited for the waitress to return, Scully decided to test the waters.

"So, what do you kids have planned for later?"

Bobby looked at Alex as he thought over his answer. Seeing that she wasn't going to jump in and save him, he turned back to Scully.

"I-I…don't know."

When the waitress returned with the tab, Mulder handed her a credit card without looking at the bill. Seeing Bobby and Alex both shaking their heads, he grinned.

"What? Private practice has been good to me. Say, I hear there's an entertaining rerun of Cops on tonight."

"Mulder…"

"What, Scully? Haven't you watched it since it happened?"

"What are you two talking about?"

"Bobby, you mean to tell me that Mulder hasn't told you about the time we ended up in the middle of a taping of Cops."

Bobby and Alex looked at each other and started laughing. Perplexed, Mulder and Scully stared at the other couple.

"I thought those people looked familiar. Do you remember me telling you that, Alex?"

"Yeah. And I thought you were crazy. Looks like we were both right."

* * *

The two couples stood outside, taking in the fresh air and quiet. Alex stood next to Bobby, her arm tucked through his, her body pressed close. Mulder and Scully stood across from them in a similar pose.

"So, Bobby, call me in the morning and we'll have some lunch before I kick your ass."

"You haven't got a prayer. I'm going to wipe the court with you."

"Now now, boys. Save it for tomorrow. Come on, Mulder, I'm tired."

"Dana, while the boys are shooting hoops, maybe we can find something to do."

"I'd like that, Alex. See ya tomorrow."

Bobby and Alex turned and started towards Alex's apartment, walking arm in arm. Mulder and Scully watched them go, a smile playing across both their mouths.

"What do you think, Mulder?"

"I think it's a start. What do ya say we head back to the hotel and have some fun."

"Oh, Fox, you devil."

"You'll be screaming that soon enough, m'dear."

* * *

**Epilogue – _The next day_**

"And now it's only ten to thirteen. I thought you were going to wipe the court with me, Bobby.

"I'm just getting warmed up, Spooky."

"You've been talking to Scully behind my back, haven't you?"

"Getting jealous?"

"Nah. She just has a soft spot for the tall, goofy ones."

"Who are you calling goofy?"

"Aha! I thought you'd be harder to distract. Fourteen, ten."

"I think you're cheating."

"Ah, come on. It's not my fault you didn't get much sleep last night."

"Wh-what are you talking about?"

"Bobby, sometimes you really can be a bit dense. It's written all over your face."

"Well…really?"

Mulder stopped, holding the ball under his right arm. He sighed deeply and approached his friend. Setting the ball on the ground between them, he laid a hand on Bobby's shoulder. "It's okay, Bobby. I know you work with the greatest detectives in the world, but this isn't exactly a crime. Trust me."

Hanging his head, Bobby exhaled loudly. "I-I just…I don't know, Mulder."

Picking up the ball and starting to dribble again, Mulder smiled at Bobby. "Go with your heart and everything will work out."

Mulder pushed Bobby before faking to his left. Bobby moved right, staying with Mulder. As Mulder prepared to drive for the basket, Alex and Scully entered the court, calling to the boys.

Surprised and distracted, Bobby looked over at them. Mulder saw his chance and took his shot.

"Fifteen, ten and game!"

"Cheater!"

"No. I just take advantage of _every_ opportunity. Something you would do well to try some time. Come on, let's go see what Scully spent my money on."

The two men walked towards their partners, pushing each other like school children, smiles on both their faces.

* * *

Fin

A/N: And now, loyal reader, we leave the Fantastic Four™ to their own devices. Rest assured that they will be reunited. And there will be less alcohol and silliness involved. I thank you for your time and your wonderful feedback.


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